• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

The Senate has closed the ordinary session of April 2021

ByWebmaster

Jul 2, 2021

GITEGA July 2nd (ABP) – The president of the Senate of Burundi, Mr. Emmanuel Sinzohagera, closed on Wednesday June 30, the ordinary session of April 2021 of that upper House of the Parliament by drawing up a positive assessment marked in particular by the analysis and the approval of 15 bills including the bill establishing the general budget of the Republic of Burundi for the 2021/2022 fiscal year.

Other bills analyzed and passed by the Senate include the bill on the reorganization of the statistical system in Burundi; the bill on reallocation of the competences of the Anti-corruption Court and its general prosecutor’s office as well as the reorganization of the anti-corruption brigade; the bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the agreement on the promotion and reciprocal protection of investments between the government of the Republic of Burundi and the government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea; the bill amending law N° 1/24 of September 10, 2008 on the investment code in Burundi; the bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the trade agreement between the government of the Republic of Burundi and the government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea; the bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the cooperation agreement in the maritime and port transport sector between the government of the Republic of Burundi and the government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

Other bills relate to the bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the reciprocal visa exemption agreement for holders of diplomatic and service passports between the government of the Republic of Burundi and the government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea; the bill amending Law N° 1/06 of March 10, 2020 establishing and granting the status of Supreme Guide of Patriotism in Burundi to President Pierre Nkurunziza; the bill revising the environmental code of the Republic of Burundi; the bill ratifying the protocol for the establishment of financial assistance between the government of the Republic of Burundi and the government of the Republic of Turkey; the bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of grant agreements N° D7900-BI and TF0B5105-BI between the Republic of Burundi and the International Development Association (IDA), relating to the second additional financing of the support project to the health system of Burundi “KIRA”, signed in Bujumbura on May 3, 2021; the bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (ZLECAF); the bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the financing agreement for the project to support the sustainable development of agricultural and livestock value chains in Burundi (PADCAE-B) as well as the bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of OFID loan agreement No 1360P relating to the project for Intensification of Agricultural Production and Reduction of Vulnerability in Burundi (PIPARV-B). For government action control, Mr. Sinzohagera continued to say that the Senate received the Minister in charge of Justice so that she responds to the concerns expressed by the people in relation to Justice. The Senate also analyzed the report of the institution of the ombudsman on the achievements of that institution with regard to the people.

Regarding cooperation, the first vice president of the Senate, Mrs Sabine Ntakarutimana who represented that institution, participated in the 59th session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States where she seized the opportunity to ask for the support of that organization for the European Union to lift the sanctions taken against Burundi.

During that ordinary session of April, the Senate organized five conferences on the events which mourned Burundi in 1972. The president of the Senate explained that this work had the aimed at supporting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in the knowledge of reality in order to build a truly reconciled Burundi. He invited senators to visit the provinces of their constituencies during this parliamentary recess period to fully explain to the people the purpose of those conferences organized by the Senate.